Former Judge Al-Khodeiry arrested

Former Judge and Parliament Member Mahmoud Al-Khodeiry(Photo from FJP)

Former Judge and Parliament Member Mahmoud Al-Khodeiry was arrested in the Alexandria district of Sidi Gaber on Monday night, confirmed Minister of Interior spokesman Hany Abdel Latif.

Abdel Latif added that the arrest was made following a request from Qasr Al-Nil Prosecution. Al-Khodeiry was detained at Alexandria’s Security Directorate overnight and was transferred to Cairo Tuesday morning.

Central Cairo Prosecution started hearing Al-Khodiery’s testimony on Tuesday morning, regarding the torture of a lawyer in Tahrir Square during 25 January Revolution, state-owned Al-Ahram reported. A lawyer in Al-Khodeiry’s office, Marwan Shiban, has said that Al-Khodeiry has been charged for his involvement, although the details of the charge are yet unknown.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), condemned Al-Khodeiry’s arrest. “Pursuing the honourable proves that the putchists have lost their minds, the continued fabrication of charges against coup resistors will only increase [the resistors’] will to bring this coup down,” the party statement read.

Al-Khodeiry, 73, is a former Cassation Court vice president, and was an important figure in the Independent Judiciary Movement, along with brothers Ahmed and Mahmoud Mekky and Hesham Al-Bastawisy during the time of former President Hosni Mubarak. Mahmoud Mekky went on to become Minister of Justice under former President Mohamed Morsi, while Ahmed Mekky served as Morsi’s vice-president. Al-Bastawisy was a presidential candidate in the 2012 presidential elections.

Al-Khodeiry was a 2011 parliament member and the head of the Legislative Committee in parliament. He has also served as the President of Alexandria Judges Club.